


Not you, my love

by j_and_lyall



Category: AFK Arena (Video Game)
Genre: Canon Compliant, I have No Excuse, M/M, Yo this is entirely self indulgent, but I don't need one, ig, just with shy boy Kelthur, you can pry these HCs from my cold dead hands
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-30
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:27:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,870
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26735083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/j_and_lyall/pseuds/j_and_lyall
Summary: HiI have no excuse for thisEnjoy
Relationships: Baden Rayne/Thane, thaden
Comments: 7
Kudos: 20





	1. A soft beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Hi  
> I have no excuse for this  
> Enjoy

"Baden?" The word hit him like a sword. So he knew. He knew, after all. His body did not want to comply. He felt the pull, the urge to kill, set by the lich who had taken hold of him. But this. Anything but this. He had killed too much. Innocent men. Women. Children. No. He could not. He could never kill him.  
The sword that had become merely a killing tool, an elongation of his arm, hovered mere millimeters from the throat of the lightbearer in front of him. The man whose face he knew all too well.  
_Yes. It's me. It's me, Thane. Please. Please end this-_  
He felt his arm rising again. But just before it could hit, connect, kill the man below him, his entire being screamed out. He could not let this happen. No matter his body, his soul, even his thoughts being tainted by the lich- he could never take his heart.  
He felt his feet turning, his gaze being ripped away from the figure. So the lich decided to leave. Good. That was good. Then he wouldn't have to worry about Thane's safety.  
"Baden! Wait!" A pained gasp behind him from the smaller wounds he had to bring him. He felt that something cold was streaming down his face, reminiscent of the time he still had been alive.  
His body jumped down a cliff, certain of the fact that he could not die from the ripping currents below. The other men nearing were another issue. He allowed himself to relax again as the water engulfed him, warmer than his own cold form. No, he could never kill him. How could he kill the one he had died for?  
_How could he kill his love?_

"It was him." He flinched slightly as the alcohol on his wound sent a burning sensation through his leg, a short gaze shooting up towards him. The healers capable of magic were busy treating the other soldiers that had carried off worse wounds than him.  
"Thane…. Even if it was Baden, are you sure that it was… him?" Belinda's words reached him, yet he only furrowed his eyebrows in return, his eyes fixed on the fabric of the tent.  
"....he is being controlled by something. I know that much. But there's… he's still in there. I'm sure. He could have killed me. He tried to. But something stopped his blade. It- I- I'm sure it was him." His throat felt like it would be swollen shut. He couldn't help but think back to it. He saw his face. Baden's face. It was still his, despite everything. He had seen the surprise in his eyes when he had called out his name. The terror when his arm moved against his will. He had… he had seen the tears forming in his eyes.  
"So you think something has possessed him?" Thane finally allowed himself to look back at the blue eyes that were drilling into him in this questionnaire.  
"I… think so, yes. Something. Maybe the necromancer that turned him into… this. Or maybe something else. I do not know the answer to this question. I just know that I..." He felt tired. Tired, and yet as lively as he hadn't felt in a long while. Baden was alive. Well, not alive. But he was _there_. He had to find him before everyone else. They wouldn't hesitate to kill him, should they find him. No, for this he was by himself.  
"That you what?" Her voice sounded scolding for some reason, as if she already knew what he was planning. As perceptive as always.  
"Don't worry. I won't do anything reckless. After all, that is the reason why he has to be like this now." Thane caught the gaze flickering over his features as she fixed the last bandage. She seemed to be looking for something that she couldn't find. A deep sigh escaped Bellinda as she sat up straight again.  
"Then I'll trust your word with this. Don't try to chase something that died a long time ago." Oh, he certainly wouldn't. After all he couldn't chase something that died of it still was there. He didn't know how, but he knew he had to help him. He had sworn an oath to house Rayne. But more so than this, he had sworn an oath to himself. To never forget the one he loved.

"So you are looking for a way to drive whatever it is that is controlling him away from his body?" Nemora's voice sounded disbelieving, her eyebrows furrowed at his words. Thane could not help but to sigh.  
"Yes. I… only want to know if there is a way. If not, I will fulfill my last duty… and end his suffering." As if he ever could. That was the reason why he had asked Eironn to accompany him as well, after all. He was well aware that he could not win a fight against Baden. But he would die trying, if he had to. He couldn't ever place the killing blow. But maybe, just maybe, seeing him die would help Baden hold off the lich for long enough so someone else could place the killing blow.  
"There might be a way." He had not expected this answer. His head shooting up with a surprised look on his face, he could almost swear to have seen a short smile on Nemora's face.  
"If he truly is possessed, we first have to find out what it is that is controlling him. In the best case, it is a necromancer that can simply be killed off and their grasp should end. If it is something else, however, it will be more complicated to-" a rustling in the leaves and a pained gasp broke off her words, both of their heads immediately snapping to the source of it. Eironn had left a while ago, his focus directed towards the forest, claiming he had to 'go take a look at something'.  
The figure that he shoved forwards stumbled before he fell down to the ground in front of them. The two Wilders immediately had a tighter grasp around their weapons, staring at the undead laying there. He managed to push himself up into a kneeling position despite his arms being bound behind his back. Thane's eyebrows furrowed, gaze fixed on the face of the possible assassin.  
"Found him sneaking around, trying to get a hold of your position. He fled when I found him." Fast as always, Eironn raised his blade, as a threat to make sure the graveborn in front of him would not move without allowance. Thane heard another gasp.  
This was wrong, in some way. Undead did not need to breathe. Their hearts weren't beating. No blood was running in their veins. Still, he could swear that something akin to a panicked breath escaped the assassin on the floor. His face contorting as the attacker finally raised his head, Thane couldn't help but to pull his face into a somber grimace.  
"This is a child." He was not able to say anything else. The defiance in the killer's eyes was now directed at him. Judging by the face, this boy had been no older than sixteen, maybe seventeen years when he died.  
"It is a graveborn", a voice from beside him remarked.  
"No matter what they look like, their behavior is what makes them. Do not fall victim to a soft face." No, that was not it. Holding out his arm, the lightbearer gestured towards her to stop from coming closer. Instead, he walked towards the boy, seeing the panic in his eyes. This child was scared. Lost, possibly. He couldn't help but to feel an all too familiar sting in his chest as he knelt down.  
"Whatever he offered you, I will pay you twice. I assume it was a graveborn with a mask who sent you. Unless his price was something akin to the lives of other people, I will do my best to weigh it up. How does this sound to you?" Genuine surprise lay in the eyes of the child. Apparently whatever he had expected, this was not it.  
"You-" the voice he heard sounded raspy, coarse and slightly shaky.  
"Thane. Are you sure this is a good idea-" Again, he cut off the concerns with a short gesture.  
"Please. Speak. Tell me what he offered you." Silence fell over the clearing, only broken up by the few times the assassin opened his mouth to then close it again. His green, glowing eyes averted the face in front of him.  
"If he does not wish to speak, I do not see any reason to keep him around. We should dispose of him." The sound of a blade getting unsheathed almost caused Thane to jump up, tackling down his old student in the process. Instead, he flinched upwards, his hand already raised to block an eventual attack with his own arm.  
"Wait. I know this sounds ridiculous to you. But if something is left of Baden, then there is something human left in this boy as well. Otherwise, my entire mission would be for naught, would it not?" Their eyes found each other for a brief moment, the defined glint in his stare enough to cause the Wilder to sheath his blade again. Thane released a breath that he did not know he had been holding, his attention directed towards the undead in front of him once again.  
This time, his strange eyes were filled with even more confusion, playing over the look of fear on his face.  
"So? Can you answer me?" Another beat of silence.  
"Thane, I-"  
"Yes. It was him." The sudden answer caused both of the two to snap their mouths shut from what they were about to say. So he was willing to talk.  
"He did not offer me anything. He threatened me. I know it was not the man, but the one controlling him. He told me he would know how to remove the spell that keeps me alive. And that I would be able to keep living if I did what he asked me to." From one second to the next, the lightbearer's stoic expression twisted into a pained grimace. He had been afraid of dying once again. And now he had been threatened to be killed off like livestock once more. This child was simply scared and lost.  
Pushing himself back up into a standing position, Thane took a deep breath.  
"Can you help me track him?"  
"Yes."  
"Do you know what type of creature is controlling him?", Nemora found her words again.  
"Yes."  
"So, which one is it?"  
"A lich", the boy finally replied after a few more seconds of silence. Judging by the reaction of both of the wilders with him, this was not good news.  
"A lich. That means, even if we kill its physical shape…. We also have to destroy its phylactery. Otherwise it can keep coming back." Oh. So that was why. Thane felt his heart fall down into his stomach.  
"So how… how can we track this phylactery?", he inquired, voice unbeknown to him shaky.  
"We could track its signature, if we get a hunch of its magic." At least some good news. Again, he took a deep breath, hand now resting on his chest.  
_It would be alright. He would find it and destroy it. And he would free Baden from the lich's grasp, no matter the cost.  
After all, his friend had given up everything just to save him as well._


	2. Memories

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For once I actually continue a fic  
> Aska and Avrae kicked my ass to do so, blame them

"Kelthur." The head of the boy perked up as Thane called out to him. Signalling the horse to halt, he stopped next to the assassin, who had been staring at a spot on the floor in concentration. The quiet looks exchanged between them were enough. He had accepted that the undead was not someone of many words by now. He was a skilled fighter and tracker, but as soon as it came to interpersonal matters, he suddenly tripped over his own feet like a clown.  
"He was here." Finally. They were on the right track.  
"How long ago?"  
"Two…. Maybe three days. We're closing in." The path ahead would be a troublesome one. With the help of some contacts, he had been able to cut off the path towards the harbor, therefore his way out of the continent. So the only route to take was that into the mountains. By now the lich certainly knew that they were following him. He tried to cover his tracks, but thanks to Kelthur, those distractions had been made short of.  
Generally, the boy seemed to be a bit… shy. Even though he was a graveborn, in the past few days he had acted like a normal human. Thane couldn't help but ponder over it. Did that mean that with a bit of a push, some graveborn could overcome their emotionless nature again? At least he hoped that it would be the case for both Baden and the boy. He had seen his behavior in the presence of others. There he almost looked timid, as if he'd be scared to jump from one failed attempt at communication to the next. At times he had even seen the boy sneak away whenever he had been talking to someone else. Originally, his first guess had been that the child would try to do something else in the meantime, yet those doubts had been wiped off the table quite fast whenever he had left again, only to see Kelthur sitting there, waiting while he hid from unwanted gazes. In Thane’s eyes, he was just someone who didn’t know how to react to the world around him.  
“Good. That means we should get ready for a skirmish. The lich won’t go without a fight.” Hopefully they wouldn’t have to damage Baden’s body too much. Even if they got him back, he’d only wilt away if it was cut up beyond repair.   
“Thane, I hope you’ll be ready to make the call if it should come to the worst?” He had to gulp shortly at the question. By now he knew what he had to do, should they not be able to succeed with their plan. The question was rather if he would be able to do it. Thane’s gaze wandered down towards his sword, looking at the blade that was so carefully formed. For a moment, he could catch a glimpse of his own reflection in it, the tired eyes with the deep circles under them staring back at him, empty. Would he be ready?  
“Yes”, he heard his own voice answer, short cut. It would be unfair to do anything but help him get rid of this curse. And if it wouldn’t leave him by itself, he’d have to-   
He’d have to lose him again.  
Gulping down the words resting on the tip of his tongue, he slowly started walking again. It wouldn’t take much longer for them to find the last person they needed. Someone with a light bright enough to drive a lich away. His letter should have already reached him by now. Hopefully he’d be ready to do what was necessary, should his own hands fail him in the most important moment.  
“Let’s go. He should be waiting.”

Tomorrow. They already knew where he was. He was waiting there for them. After a while of them following the tracks, he seemed to have realized that he couldn’t hide much longer without a confrontation. Thane’s gaze was fixed on the cave in the distance. Of course he would choose a darker place to fight. This asshole would hold onto anything to resist them. A slight scowl found its way onto his face, only broken up as he heard silent footsteps behind him.  
“You knew him from before he died, right?” The question took him a bit by surprise. Turning his head towards the graveborn next to him, he watched as the boy sat down, following his gaze calmly.  
“Yes. He was a fellow soldier.” The words themselves stung into him. But he never knew if Baden had felt the same way about him that he did. He never got the chance to ask. To tell him. And the last thing he saw of him was his panicked face running towards him while he felt the pain from his arm spread through his body.  
The next thing he had heard was that he had died.  
“A fellow soldier? So you were in the same… squadron?”  
“Yes. We trained together a lot.” A strangely eerie silence followed.  
“How… was he like?”  
“Well, he was- he was persistent. He challenged me first when he saw me defeating another recruit with ease, telling him where his mistakes lay. He thought I carried my nose a bit too high, even though I was a good fighter. So he challenged me. After he lost, he tried again and again, but he never managed to defeat me. Beside one time.” Kelthur’s eyes now rested on him, curiously wandering over his figure.  
“Only one time.”  
“Yes. One time. We were deep into a sparring match in the forest, just the two of us. He had already lost two rounds that day. But at the third he just… came walking at me as if he wouldn’t mind a damn thing. I didn’t know what to do at the moment. He simply winked at me, and before I knew it, he had his sword lifted and struck mine out of my hand. I was… too perplexed to react properly at the time.” He felt a slight smile wander onto his face. Those were the memories he cherished. How Baden always was playful, yet still serious. How he had laughed and teased him that the first best handsome man coming around the corner would be able to seduce him into giving up. Of course he paid for that with the broad side of a sword in his side. But it didn’t hide the fact that he had been blushing madly back then. It probably became even more obvious when he turned away.  
“...So he was not a good fighter?” The question let him jump back from his train of thoughts.  
“No. He was good. Very good, in fact. He was the second best recruit next to me. And he would have been the best, had it… not been him who died that day.” Right. Starting this topic was not the best idea. His face drew into an ugly grimace as he recalled the day again.  
Another beat of silence followed, only broken up by the soft snoring from Lucius. He had earned his sleep after travelling such a long way only to join them on this mission. Kelthur picked up a small stone that he put on the back of his hand. As he looked a bit closer, it turned out to be a snail that the boi had apparently seen in the dark. Thane couldn’t help but wonder if Graveborn still felt pain. Or, anything at all. Did they still feel soft touches on ones skin? He saw the kid flinch when the snail started moving again. Apparently he did not expect it to come back out of its shell.  
“The question is stuck right there, isn’t it?”, he asked a bit jokingly, the one next to him immediately looking rather caught. A sigh escaped his throat once again while he leaned back, his head now facing the stars.  
“That day I… let my hubris be my downfall. It was supposed to be a normal skirmish. I thought it would be a good idea to take out the enemy commander first. Then the troups would be in distress, not able to function properly without the one in charge. I… didn’t account for it to be him.” The red sword, tainted with blood of his fellow recruits. The fangs that showed when he roared. Brutus, one seen as a god under Maulers, due to his prowess in battle. Not without reason.  
“Their leader was strong. Too strong. I let my hot head draw me into a battle I could not win. And once I realized… it was too late. He already had the upper hand through his pure strength and experience. I felt his weapon hit my arm. I felt the bone crush right then and there. I… knew I was going to die then and there, laying on the ground, blood welling up in my lungs. Or, at least I thought so.” Again, a curious gaze met him while Kelthur let the snail crawl over his hand, not daring to utter a single word in between the segments of his story.  
“It was Baden who saved me. He jumped into the fray without hesitation. I could see him try and fight their commander as well. But it was futile. If I didn’t stand a chance, he didn’t either. I… I saw him fall. He landed next to me. The only thing I can still remember is how he looked at me. He reached out for me. ...I don’t know what happened next. When I woke back up, I was in a camp. I tried to push myself up but… realized soon enough that my arm was gone. One of the nurses told me to lay back down. I panicked. I looked around for him. Any sign of him. But he wasn’t there. When I asked for him, she drew her face into a pained expression. I already knew before she said anything. That he was dead.” His throat felt weirdly dry at the moment. He couldn’t help but to swallow down his shaky voice, a familiar burning feeling in his eyes. No, this was not the time for tears. Not until this was solved. He wouldn’t disappoint him again.  
“So he… he gave his own life for yours.” He did. That much was true. But someone brought him back. Against his will.  
“...yes. Which is why I have to do this for him. If we can’t drive the lich away from him, then at least… I can make sure that he can finally rest. This time, I can be there for him.” The last word, albeit still audible, was more shaky than he had intended it to be. Yes, this time he would be there. No matter what for. He would be there to see the lich leave his body. Or he would be there to hold his hand in his last moments. At least this once, he would be there. And he could tell him everything. Maybe he would die as well. But then, at least, he would know. He would not die without someone there who truly loved him.  
“I… see. ...I will do my best as well. If I… if I can help somehow, please, tell me.” Even Kelthur’s voice sounded a bit shaky at the moment. Maybe he should not have burdened a child with such stories. His head leaned back, his eyes looking for answers in the stars, Thane couldn’t help but to close them for a moment as well.  
This time, he could be there with his love.


End file.
